Welcome to the Anglican (Church of England) Parish of St. Andrew, Romford.

Picture of Fr. John-Francis

I am very pleased you found us and are visiting St. Andrews. As Rector I hope you will enjoy browsing around our site and find something of help and interest.

We are an open congregation in the Anglo-Catholic tradition. A lot of visitors enter our church and, from their comments, we know they usually discover something of help and interest. As a member of the Society of Catholic Priests I warmly welcome you whatever your background. We are against discrimination of any kind and seek to promote generosity of spirit in all who worship with us. Below you will find our 'Mission Statement'.

This site is being constantly updated and we are looking for new contacts and ideas. If you should find yourself in Romford, get in touch and make a real-time visit.

In the meantime, enjoy your tour of the Parish.

With best wishes,

Fr. John-Francis Friendship
The Rev. Suzanne Mayes - Hon. Assistant Priest

The Story of our Parish

Our parish was mostly developed in the 19th Century to house the growing population of what had been, up to then, a market town. But with the developing railway network, growing industrialisation of the region and the building of Romford Brewery, there was a need for a church to serve the local community. St. Andrew's church was opened on 31st October, 1862 and, from the start, witnessed to the Catholic faith of the Church of England.

Read more on our history

The Church of St. Andrew

In 2005 we completed a major Restoration Scheme. The church now exhibits much of the glory that greeted congregations when it was first opened. The church is now accessible for disabled persons. At the same time we installed a performance platform and toilet facilities.

Weekday Masses are celebrated in the Lady Chapel where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved.

 Picture of St Andrews

The Church of St. Agnes

The Parish has seen the development of various churches, most of which have now become independent Parishes. However, one remains - St Agnes' in Jutsum's Lane off London Road.

St Agnes' was opened as a hall in 1928 with a small sanctuary. Improvements were made in 2004 when the building was redecorated throughout and now complies with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act. It continues to serve the spiritual needs of the area and Mass is celebrated each Sunday. The Hall is available for hire.

Extract from OUR PARISH MISSION STATEMENT:

We, the people of the Parish of St. Andrew, Romford, appreciative of our rich tradition and missionary heritage, are a catholic community empowered by the Holy Spirit, the sacraments, and prayer.

OUR VALUES

We place high value on:

  • Justice and Peace: we will strive for social justice
  • Integrity of Creation: we will respect the whole of creation
  • Exploration: we will encourage journeys of discovery
  • Openness: we will be inclusive
  • Stewardship: we will grow and sustain our human, spiritual and physical assets

We seek to be open to all members of the community regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religious or political beliefs.


PRAYER AND SPIRITUALITY

There is a page with helpful information: please click here

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